War Production Board
Quick Summary
The War Production Board (WPB) was a United States government agency established in January 1942 to oversee the conversion of industries to war production during World War II. It was staffed by "dollar-a-year" volunteers from businesses and aimed to manage the nation's resources for the war effort. The WPB played a crucial role in the phenomenal buildup of American military production, which included vast numbers of aircraft, ships, warships, and tanks. This agency was part of a broader Allied economic management strategy that significantly boosted the production capabilities of the United States, contributing substantially to the Allied victory.1
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20th-century international relationsAllied economic managementIn January 1942 the War Production Board emerged, staffed with “dollar-a-year” volunteers from business, while the Office of War Mobilization (May 1943) under James F. Byrnes served less as a dictator than an umpire in matters involving labor, business, and the military.
Read MoreIn January 1942 the War Production Board emerged, staffed with “dollar-a-year” volunteers from business, while the Office of War Mobilization (May 1943) under James F. Byrnes served less as a dictator than an umpire in matters involving labor, business, and the military.
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United StatesWar productionHe therefore created the War Production Board in January 1942 to coordinate mobilization, and in 1943 an Office of War Mobilization was established to supervise the host of defense agencies that had sprung up in Washington, D.C. Gradually, a priorities system was devised to supply defense plants with raw…
Read MoreHe therefore created the War Production Board in January 1942 to coordinate mobilization, and in 1943 an Office of War Mobilization was established to supervise the host of defense agencies that had sprung up in Washington, D.C. Gradually, a priorities system was devised to supply defense plants with raw…
Read More